Majorca ‘crisis’ as TUI move could see thousands of tourists switch country | World | News

Tens of thousands of British tourists jet off to Majorca and other Spanish destinations every year to catch some much-needed winter sun.

However, the Belearic island – where tourism makes up a significant portion of the economy – may be facing fresh competition for UK guests jetting off to the beach in the winter season.

Major tour operator TUI has confirmed plans to expand its operations in Turkey.

In a visit to the country, TUI CEO Sebastian Ebel said the company hopes to ‘drive the number of guests’ heading to the country.

TUI also hopes to expand its own portfolio in the country, where it currently operates 33 hotels and resorts with around 25,000 beds – including two that have opened this year.

As part of this expansion, TUI hopes to make Turkey – known for its Aegean and Meditterranean beaches – more of a year-round destination, with a particular emphasis on winter and autumn visits.

This could see visitors drawn away from Majorca, which has seen its reputation tarnished amongst some UK tourists in recent months due to protests about overtourism and abuse directed at some visitors from overseas.

The Majorca Daily Bulletin, a local news website, said a survey of its readers had suggested other factors may also see guests pick Bodrum over Palma over the winter months.

A survey last month suggested 80 per cent of its readers felt the island did not ‘offer value for money’, with concerns about the cost of ‘mediocre food’ also putting some visitors off.

In a statement released on Friday, Mr Ebel said: “Türkiye has been a guest favourite for years, and this year we see it further solidified with impressive growth from all markets. The country offers a unique combination of being a high value destination with exceptional detail to quality.

“We want to grow our presence in Türkiye in all segments of our business – with our tour operators and airlines, our leading hotel brands and also in the activities segment as well as with the cruise business.

“Türkiye’s tourism sector is amongst the most successful in the world and it has enormous potential to develop further – for the benefit of Türkiye and its people.

“We are very proud of our outstanding hotel partners in Türkiye and we are committed to taking our strong partnerships to the next level. I look forward to working together to further expand our joint successes.”